Why Your Two-factor Backup Codes Deserve Better Than A Notes App

By Author: Lock It Team
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Two-factor authentication (2FA) is one of the best things you can do for your online accounts. Even if someone learns your password, they still need the six-digit code from your phone. But almost every 2FA setup also hands you a list of backup codes, and that is where many people slip up. Where backup codes usually end up Most people screenshot them, paste them into a notes app, or email them to themselves. All three leave the codes sitting in places that anyone holding your unlocked phone can open in seconds. A note titled "backup codes" or "passwords" is the first thing a snooper would search for. Better options 1. Paper in a safe place at home. Old-fashioned, but it can't be hacked. 2. A password manager that supports secure notes. 3. An encrypted vault app on your phone that has its own separate lock. What to look for in a vault for codes - Encryption on the device (for example, AES-256), so the files are unreadable if copied off the phone. - A separate unlock from your phone's screen lock. - Ideally, built-in support for 2FA keys, so the vault can generate the 30-second codes itself and your authenticator lives behind ...
... the same lock. One option: Lock It: Calculator Vault Lock It: Calculator Vault is an Android app from ITAPS LLC that hides an encrypted vault behind a calculator that really works. You open the vault by typing your own secret equation and pressing equals. Inside, you can store 2FA keys that refresh every 30 seconds, along with passwords, notes, photos and videos, all encrypted with AES-256 on your phone. It also offers private chat and calls with people you invite by key or QR code. The app is free with ads; Premium Pro is $4.99 a month and a one-time Offline Vault is $9.99. Search "Lock It: Calculator Vault" on Google Play, or go to: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appfactory.calculator&referrer=utm_source%3D123articleonline%26utm_medium%3Dlisting%26utm_campaign%3Dfree_ads The bottom line 2FA only protects you if the backup codes are protected too. Take five minutes this week to move them somewhere that has a lock of its own. The Lock It team at ITAPS LLC builds privacy tools for Android. Search "Lock It: Calculator Vault" on Google Play.